Beautiful Pain
by ABeautifulDisaster92
Summary: Civilization has ended, the world is thrown into chaos as the dead rise from their graves and begin to take over. Two girls have survived the apocalypse by always being on the move. Their lives are a journey filled with twists and turns but they never know when it all could come to a crashing halt.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a few things before you continue reading. This is mostly AU with some of my original characters, also since I wrote this for my best friend I decided to use Michael Clifford from 5Sos and Harry Styles from 1D as characters as well. Some themes are like the show but it is mostly mine. I hope you enjoy :)**

Anyone who was still alive were forced to keep running. Nowhere was safe, not anymore at least. These days it seemed like whenever you got too comfortable you lose it all just as fast. No one could pinpoint the exact reason as to why corpses rose from the dead. They were no longer people, they were an empty shell of what they used to be. If you tried to talk to them you died a miserable, painful death of them devouring your flesh. It was like every day life turned into a horror movie that never ended. Civilization ended, families were torn apart, and you never knew when you could lose your own life.

For a while Melissa spent her days alone. She refused to stay apart of a group for too long, it was too risky to grow attached to anyone. It all changed one day when she got cornered in an abandoned pharmacy surrounded by walkers. Crowding behind the counter she heard the glass begin to crack from the store windows and prepared to be eaten alive when it all stopped. Peaking around the counter she saw the walkers had left, the windows were still in tact and from her spot on the floor she saw a glowing orange light coming from across the street. With her knife in hand she crept through the aisles to the door. When she was a few feet away she was surprised to see the door creak open. She was even more surprised when she saw a blonde girl, around her age, on the other side. "Come on, it won't keep them distracted for long." She said quickly.

Melissa turned her head to see the walkers stare in a daze at a car that was set on fire, the blaze burned high into the sky. "How did you...?" She whispered.

"No time, come on," The girl urged as she began to run down the street.

Melissa should have argued, how could she trust this complete stranger? Instead she followed, if this girl wanted to kill her she would have just left her to die on the floor of that pharmacy. This stranger gave her a second chance to live, she couldn't waste it.

The girl clearly knew the area. She wove her way through alleyways, over fences, until they made it to an old Jeep. "This your's?" Melissa asked as she tried to regain her breath.

"Yeah, I found it a few weeks ago, still had a full tank of gas so I considered it a sign from God." She smiled softly taking off her backpack to throw into the back.

"You still believe in God?"

The girl considered the question. "I should say no, but...I feel like the only way to make it through something like this _is_ to believe."

"Insightful."

"Hey, I've been by myself for a while, I have to tell myself something to keep going."

Melissa nodded, she knew how it felt. When the world changed she had been at school hours away from home. She had been stuck in Atlanta for the most part. By the time she made it out of the city she was sure her family was either dead or gone leaving her to wonder the possibilities. A part of her hoped they were alive somewhere but that part was quickly silenced by the true reality of the world.

"I'm Abby by the way." The girl's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

"Melissa...and thanks for helping me out back there."

Abby shrugged. "I saw that you were alone and that you didn't have any supplies I figured you were harmless."

"That's a dangerous way of thinking."

"Maybe but..." Reaching in her back pocket she pulled out a small handgun. "If you tried anything I was prepared."

"Good to know." She sighed. "You live around here?"

"Right now, no, I was staying a few miles up the road but I don't like staying in one place for too long." She explained. "Do you have a group? Would anyone be looking for you?"

Shaking her head Melissa frowned. "No...like you I usually stay by myself."

"Well...its going to be dark soon and I have a few cans of food. I'll watch your back tonight if you watch mine. We'll decide what do tomorrow."

"Deal." Melissa agreed.

After that night the two girls agreed maybe it wouldn't be so bad to stay together. Even though they were matched when it came to survival they balanced each other out personality wise. Abby was a little more timid, a thinker while Melissa liked to take charge and form plans. They didn't travel every day, they tried to conserve the gas in the Jeep for as long as they could. During the days they tried to collect as many supplies as they could, berries, edible plants, and whatever else they could find. They talked about what they had been through. Melissa learned Abby's parents were dead, killed by someone they thought they could trust which explained why the girl wasn't eager about being in a group. Abby found out Melissa had a niece and she was the last member of her family that she spoke to before the turn. It was so rare these days but the girls developed a friendship.

Maybe a month had passed, who knows, since they met they both decided they couldn't stick around any longer. The town had been picked through time and time again with nothing left they could use. They had enough food for a few months if they rationed well and they were lucky enough to find a full gas can for the Jeep. "Time to go." Abby sighed throwing the last bag into the backseat.

"Road trip!" Melissa grinned from the passenger seat.

"Yeah, lets go to the beach." Abby laughed.

It wasn't a quick trip to the next city. Taking highways or any major roadway was out of the question, taking one would most certainly lead to running right into a herd. They were forced to travel by back roads and take breaks in between routes so they could scavenge through any big neighborhood they saw. Sometimes they were lucky but most of the time they were happy enough to find a pack of crackers. At night they stopped in fear of signaling any threats by using the headlights. Most of the time they slept in the safety of the Jeep. Others when the night was completely clear and they found a suitable camping spot they would sleep beneath the stars.

On one of those nights Melissa said. "You know I've been thinking."

"What?"

"You know when you told me you had to believe in something to make it through the days is to believe in something."

"Yeah...?"

"Well I like to believe the world is completely awful...I mean the dead are fucking alive. But I like to believe that maybe, someday, I'll find someone to love." Melissa frowned. "That's probably so stupid."

"I don't think so. I mean I think everyone always wanted to find love in the world even before it went to shit."

"Yeah but you think I'm gonna find a cute guy in this mess?" She chuckled.

"Hey, stranger things have happened. Like you said, the dead are alive."

The next day they were looking for supplies in a nice suburb when Melissa stopped. Dropping the shirt in her hands she walked over to the window. "Abby...come look at this."

Rising from her spot on the floor Abby walked over to see what Melissa was talking about. Outside there was a boy, well he wasn't a boy, he had to be in his early twenties. His shirt was in tatters and covered in blood. In his hands he carried a gun in a loose grip and he seemed to be walking in a daze. "Is he a walker?" Melissa asked.

"I don't think so...he's not really shuffling like a walker. He seems dehydrated or...stoned?"

"Then explain the blood."

Abby paused. "I wish I could...what should we do?"

"I think we should help him or at least try to. If it doesn't work out at least we can take his gun and then I can finally have my own."

Abby shook her head with a small smile on her face. "Fine. Come on, lets go out the back."

As quietly as they could they made their way out the backdoor into the yard. Abby pulled out her pistol as they stepped behind the fence. Where the fence ended was a few yards away from the boy who had fallen on his knees in the middle of the street. Holding the pistol out in front of her Abby walked out first. "Hey! Drop the gun." She yelled.

At first the boy didn't comply, his eyes were blank to the point they thought he was a walker. "I won't tell you again. Drop the gun." She commanded, even Melissa was intimidated by her voice.

The girls were relieved when the boy's head raised slightly. He stared at them for the longest time until finally he gently placed the gun out in front of him. "Push it away and put your hands in the air." Abby told him as they slowly crept towards him.

Again the boy did as he was told. Hitting the gun he pushed it a safe enough distance away for Melissa to pick it up and put his hands up. Opening the chamber Melissa noticed only one bullet was missing. "What's your name?"

He didn't answer. Instead he just stared ahead. Glancing at Abby Melissa was at a loss. "Is that blood your's or someone else's?" Abby questioned.

Once more they didn't receive a response. To their surprise he broke down in tears. His arms were shaking but he kept them raised. "They're dead..." He cried. "They're all dead."

"Who?" Melissa asked.

"My...my family...my friends." He whimpered.

Melissa took in his features, from his pale face which was turning pink due to his crying, to the tattoos he had on his right arm. If she had met him before she would imagine him to be a rebel but this world had broken him just like it had everyone else.

Before they had the chance to question him further they watched as his eyes drooped and he fell over to his side. "Oh my God," Melissa gasped dropping the gun and rushing to his side.

Abby fell beside her, two fingers pressed to his neck. "His pulse is fine, he's just passed out." She explained. "We need to get him out of this heat though."

"Think we can trust him?"

Abby stopped and stared at the boy in front of her. "For right now, yes, but we have to take precautions. Come on, lets pick him up."

Melissa reached her hands under his armpits while Abby took hold of his ankles. With a grunt they picked him up with much difficulty and headed back to the house they originally were searching. Shuffling with his heavy body in their arms they kept a look out for any potential threat. Once they made it back inside they dropped the boy on a couch and just stared at him. "Now what?" Abby asked.

"Didn't you find some duct tape?" Melissa said looking toward their pile of of supplies.

Nodding Abby went over to find the silver tape. "Hold his hands." Abby told her as she ripped off a long piece of tape.

After wrapping his hands and feet with tape they both took a deep breath. "I'll get him some water for when he wakes up." Melissa murmured going into the kitchen.

Taking a seat in front of the couch Abby stared at the body in front of her. If she had to guess he had to be close to their age. He had a few scars decorating his pale arms, his black jeans were torn on one of the knees and covered in dirt. Wherever he came from it wasn't an easy trip to here. When Melissa came back into the room she placed the bottle on one of the end tables. "Where do you think he came from?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders. "He's dirty but who isn't these days? He's not sickly thin so wherever he was he had food. Maybe he was in a community that was taken over."

"Taken over by walkers?"

"Or other people. I thought I saw some men's clothes in one of the bedrooms, I'll go see if I can find him a new shirt. Call me if he wakes up."

Melissa nodded as her friend headed upstairs. Once she was gone she moved her chair closer to the boy. She watched as his chest slowly rose and fell in slow movements. From where she was sitting she could tell none of the blood was his, there were no obvious wounds on his torso. It made her mind go to the single bullet missing from his gun. What did he use in on? Or who did he use it on?

As her mind began to spin she noticed his eyes begin to open. Slowly she stood on her feet to watch as he took in his surroundings. When he began to sit up he noticed his hands taped together. "What the fuck...?" He whispered then he turned his head to see a girl staring at him. "Oh...hi."

"Stay there." She commanded, going over to the stairs. "Abby! He's awake."

When she came back she took a seat on the edge of the chair. "Don't be afraid. We just...you're covered in blood and you had a gun, you can't blame us for being hesitant."

"Oh this?" He gestured to his hands. "Its nothing...its not the best way to wake up, I admit, but it could be worse."

"Do you want some water?" When he nodded his head she stood to get the water bottle. "Careful." She told him as she lifted the bottle to his lips.

Taking the bottle away she asked. "Can you tell me your name?"

Swallowing the water he said. "Michael...your's?"

"Melissa." When Abby stepped into the room Melissa directed her head towards her. "And that's Abby."

"Hi." Michael smiled. "Um...would it be too much to ask for you to free my hands?"

"We will once you answer some questions." Abby began. "Like where did you come from? Why you're covered in blood? And what you were doing with that gun?"

"Ok, ok I'll tell you. Can you help me up?" He implored glancing at Melissa.

Grabbing his taped hands Melissa eased him up so he could sit up right. "All right, my name is Michael...I'm from South Georgia but I was touring the state with my band when the outbreak started. We found a little community near Macon. We stayed there for the most part but then we got taken over by this group...they call themselves the wolves. They're ruthless...they kill anyone on sight, women, children, they don't care."

Abby stared at him with sad eyes. "They killed your friends?"

"Two of them," He answered. "I escaped with my friend Ashton but then he got bit." With that his eyes began to water. "He begged me, he begged me to kill him. There was nothing I could do! He had a fever, he kept throwing up, and then...and then I had to."

"I'm sorry." Melissa murmured.

Shaking his head Michael kept going. "I buried him a few miles away and I just started walking. Now I'm here."

Crossing her arms Abby cleared her throat getting Melissa's attention. "Give us a minute," She mumbled stepping away to head into the kitchen.

"What do you think?" Melissa whispered.

"I don't know...he's obviously been through a lot." She sighed. "How can we be sure he's completely by himself though? What if the wolves know he escaped and they've been following him?"

"Then we leave, we don't stay in Georgia. There's nothing keeping us here anyway."

Abby thought about it for a minute. "I guess another pair of eyes wouldn't be so bad."

"Exactly...and if he tries anything we put his ass on the road."

"Ok. Lets tell him."

Melissa smiled inwardly when Abby agreed. Following her friend back into the living room she grinned at the boy. "Well, Michael, if you want you're welcome to travel with us."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but just know you do anything we won't hesitate to put you down." Abby warned.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Michael agreed. "So can I get my hands back now?"

"I guess so." Melissa smiled reaching in her back pocket for her knife. "Be still." She whispered leaning down, taking his hand in one of hers to cut his hands loose.

"We'll stay here for the night and leave in the morning." Abby told them reaching down to pick up the discarded shirt she had found earlier. "Um, we usually take watch in shifts so just tell us when you would like to take your turn. And I found you a clean shirt."

"Thanks," Michael mumbled taking it from her. "And thank you both for letting me stay."

"Don't thank us yet, we have no idea what we're gonna run into when we leave tomorrow." Abby sighed. "I'm exhausted, if its ok with you two I'm going to sleep first. I'll be upstairs, the beds aren't too gross. Melissa you have your gun?"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll keep an eye on him."

"All right, good night."

"Night." Both of them said as the blonde headed upstairs.

Glancing at his profile Melissa cleared her throat to break the silence in the room. "Um are you hungry? We have some food over here."

"No, I'm all right, thank you though."

Nodding, Melissa played with her hands out in front of her. Now that they were alone she had the opportunity to ask him anything she wanted but nothing came to mind. She couldn't deny this guy was cute, incredibly cute, and she couldn't think of one thing to say to him. He had been through so much she didn't want to push him. "So you said you played in a band?" She blurted.

"Yeah, guitar." He answered.

"Oh wow, I've always wanted to learn how to play guitar."

"Well if I had mine I would teach you. I don't even know where to find one these days."

"Yeah really, these days you're lucky to find a can of beans let alone a guitar."

"Right...so I told you two about me what about you? Where did you come from?"

Sighing Melissa thought back to the start. "I was in Atlanta when it started. I was in school hours away from home and it had gotten so bad I couldn't leave the city. By the time I got out everything had fallen."

"What about your family?"

"I don't know," She whispered. "I was too scared to go back home. Too scared of what I may or may not find."

"So you have no idea of knowing if they made it?" When she shook her head he continued. "Do you want to know?"

"A part of me does, just for the closure but I think its been easier moving on _not_ knowing."

"What about your friend?"

"Her whole family is dead but that's her story to tell you if she ever trusts you enough to tell it."

"Got it, how long have you two been on the road?"

"A while, we met when she saved me from a herd of walkers."

"Well its good that you have a friendship in all this. There's not much of that these days anymore."

She could tell the words hurt him. His eyes glassed over as he said them. "I'm sorry about your friends."

"You already said that...and its not your fault. We were stupid to stay in one place for so long. We got lazy."

"That's kind of why we stay on the run, I think both of us have been too hesitant to stay in one place for too long."

"At first the feeling of safety is nice. Its such a drastic change from constantly looking over your shoulder but...there's always a nagging feeling its not gonna last. Then when it all comes crashing down you have no one to blame but yourself, you have to be strong to make it through."

"Well you made it this far."

"Yeah...on dumb luck and then running away, leaving the people I care about behind."

"You have to do what you have to. You have to survive."

"So you're telling me you would leave your friend behind?"

Melissa opened and closed her mouth, considering his question. "I've never been in that situation."

"Well someday you just may be put in that situation and you don't get a second chance."

The thought nagged her for the rest of the night. So many thoughts had been plaguing her since the outbreak. Where her family was had been the main concern and it still bugged her she didn't know where they were. Now she had a small group and even though she had just met him she felt like she could trust Michael, a thought that scared her. Trusting people gets your hurt, trusting the wrong people gets you killed.

When they left the next day Melissa decided to drive letting Michael get some sleep since he had taken watch last. While he slept in the back sleep propped up on a backpack they began their journey. "Think he will be ok with us?" Abby asked.

"I believe so...for now at least."

They drove all day not wanting to stop in fear of someone following them. The thought of the wolves Michael had talked about worried the girls. They had been lucky enough to avoid people like he described. Their biggest concern were walkers, they wanted to keep it that way for as long as they could.

Over the next few weeks Michael became a key member of their group. He was smart when it came to decision making, he was a good fighter with both a knife and gun. Whenever they stopped long enough to rest he would help Melissa with her aim. By the time they made it to South Carolina she felt confident enough to get a head shot from a far distance. Abby had even warmed up to him to hold a conversation with him without Melissa.

They had lost track of what state they were in when the Jeep finally broke down. Michael knew a little bit about mechanics but he couldn't save it. Each took a bag from the back and with a final look at the vehicle that had taken them so far they took off on foot.

Keeping to the woods and back roads the journey was difficult with the terrain and the hot summer weather. All three felt like they would pass out numerous times. Their bodies were sluggish, their feet carrying them on autopilot. "Are we there yet?" Melissa wheezed.

Abby tried to smile. "Do we even know where we're going?"

"No," Michael rasped. "As long as we keep moving at least we know we're alive."

"Yeah...I guess that's one way to put it."

"Lets take a break, its been a while and all of us need water." Melissa insisted taking off her backpack, the weight being lifted felt amazing for a minute but the sun bearing down on her shoulders made her cringe.

"I agree..." Abby whispered pulling out her water bottle. "Only one problem, I'm out."

"Same here," Michael announced.

Taking out her own bottle Melissa grimaced seeing hers was empty as well. "Shit...and we're in drought, where are we going to find water?"

"Maybe I can help." A new voice spoke.

Even though their bodies were tired Abby and Melissa pulled out their guns in a split second. "Who's there?" Abby snapped.

To their shock and amazement a man with curly hair stepped out from behind the bushes. He wore a navy windbreaker and khakis, he was completely clean, like he stepped straight out of a catalog. "Who are you?" Michael asked.

The man help his arms up. "My name is Aaron...I've been following for a while now and I believe you three would fit in perfectly with our community."

"How could you be so sure?" Melissa snapped. "You don't even know us. We could kill you."

"If you were going to do that you would have done it already. I know what kind of people you are. You've struggled, I can see that. Alexandria is a community for people like you. Those who can handle themselves, and maybe you could make us stronger."

"Alexandria?" Michael repeated.

"Yes...I could take you there, if you like." Slowly he took his backpack off. The girls lowered their guns as they watched him pull out Polaroid pictures. Slowly he reached out to hand the pictures over. "As you can see we have homes, plenty of them, you three could have one to yourselves."

"I don't know about us staying somewhere permanently." Abby whispered.

"You are free to leave whenever you want." Aaron continued. "We have walls to keep us safe, our leader's husband was an architect, he designed them to be strong and withstand a herd."

Melissa glanced at her friends. "Maybe...maybe we could check it out."

Abby still wasn't sold but if Michael and Melissa agreed she would go wherever they went. "Fine, we'll go but we can leave whenever we want?"

"Of course, in Alexandria we want our people to be comfortable, not like they're being held against their will."

And with Aaron's words and promises in their minds they went with him. The drive was quiet with the only sound coming from Aaron's humming. It was so strange to them for this man to appear so happy. Had he really been this sheltered the entire time? How often does he leave this little community? Does he even know how the world is?

When he stopped the car in front of the rod iron gate he instructed them to get out of the car. "We usually leave vehicles outside the gate just in case." He told them as he put the keys in the glove department.

"Smart," Michael mumbled.

All three stood behind Aaron as the gate was pulled open. "Aaron, its about time you got back." A tall, good looking man smiled. "Who are they?"

"Aiden, these are some new recruits. This is Abby, Melissa, and Michael. I found them on the road, I think they would make fine additions to Alexandria."

"Well they will have to speak to my mom first. In the meantime we'll get a house ready for them. I assume you all would like to stay together."

The teenagers didn't speak, instead they nodded their heads. With a smile from Aaron they followed him through the gate. It was surreal, the houses were even bigger than the pictures. They looked perfect, like they had stepped back in time when life was normal. The lawns were trimmed to perfection, they could hear kids playing off in the distance. A few Alexandrians walked the streets and stared at the dirty hoodlums Aaron had found on the road.

Feeling self conscious Abby stepped closer to Aaron. "Who do we have to meet?"

"Deanna, she runs this place. She used to have a seat in the Senate but now she is just our leader. She's tough but fair."

It turned out they each had to meet with the leader separately with Michael going first. Their meetings with Deanna was tense. She asked them where they had been and what they had gone through. No question was left unanswered. 'How many of those things have you killed? Have you killed a person? Is there a reason my people shouldn't feel safe with you here?'

"I felt like I was being interrogated." Melissa whispered to Michael as Abby finished up her interview.

"I guess we kind of were." He told her. "She wouldn't turn us away would she?"

"So you want to stay?"

Michael considered it. "Kind of, yeah, the walls are high. Aaron said they grow their own food, they have an armory, its nothing like where I was before."

"We'll see what Abby says." Melissa murmured as the door opened and Deanna along with Abby stepped out.

"I assume you three would like a shower and a hot meal." She smiled. "I believe Aaron already has your house ready so he'll show you around."

"Can we keep our weapons?" Abby asked.

"Yes you can, we don't have a reason for them but if it makes you feel safe then I will allow it."

With that they assumed they were now apart of Alexandria. Aaron was waiting outside and excited to show them around their new home. "Miss Robinson over there makes delicious cookies, she's developed her own recipe to make up for the ingredients she can't find anymore. Mrs. Barnes runs the daycare."

"You have babies here?" Melissa questioned.

"Yes we do, I know, hard to believe. A few women were pregnant at the start which terrified us as you can believe but we made due. Dr. Howell runs the clinic. He was a surgeon before, he's seen a little bit of everything."

"Wow...y'all really do have it all." Abby whispered.

"I hope you three will see this is a good place for you." Aaron said, his voice genuine. "And here will be your home for as long as you decide to stay."

The teenagers looked up in awe at the house in front of them. It was a two story Victorian home that looked brand new. On the porch sat whicker furniture with plush pillows and a swing hanging on the far side. "Well go ahead." Aaron urged. "If you need me, I'm three houses down."

With that he stepped away to let them explore. Going up the stairs the finally felt like this was real. When they opened the door their mouths fell open. Not only did the house look brand new the furniture looked like it had never been used, but it was spotless. "Holy shit...no more sleeping on ratty blankets for us." Michael laughed.

"I call the shower!" Melissa yelled as she ran upstairs with Michael following right behind her.

While they fought over the shower Abby took a look around the bottom floor. She was afraid to sit on anything, she didn't want to dirty the clean furniture with her filthy clothing. Going into the kitchen she turned on the sink, expecting the water to be off like in so many homes they had scavenged, but water fell freely from the faucet. Running her hands through it she moved her hands up her arms trying to scrub off some of the sweat and dirt from her skin. After cleaning what she could reach she dried off with a hand towel that hung off the stove.

If she didn't know better she would think the outside world wasn't happening anymore. There were no walkers or evil people out to kill anyone that crossed their path. Even though she wished this was real, it was an illusion, a dream that they were bound to wake up from a one point.

After exploring the bottom floor she decided to go upstairs to see what else the house had for them. All the doors were open except for two telling her there were two bathrooms and both were occupied by her friends. Stepping into one of the bedrooms she decided she would take this one. A queen sized bed with plush bedding, it reminded her of her old room in her parent's house. Before she got a chance to be upset she heard a knock coming from the front door. Running her hands against her jeans she went back downstairs to answer the door. On the other side she was met by yet another tall good looking man. "Hello, I'm Spencer." He smiled.

"Abby." She answered.

"I'm Deanna's youngest son, I'm also apart of the welcome committee." He smirked holding up a laundry basket for her to take. "We gathered some clothes for you and your friends. They should fit just fine."

Taking the basket from his arms she nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem, if you need anything, and I mean anything, don't hesitate to find me."

"Ok...thanks again." She said closing the door with her foot.

For some reason everyone she had met in Alexandria had been incredibly friendly but she received bad vibes from Spencer. She didn't trust these people, maybe she would grow to but for the moment she was keeping her guard up.

It turns out it was easier for them to adjust to life in Alexandria. Even though they were still hesitant about staying put they couldn't deny it was nice to have a place called home. They each had a warm bed to sleep in at night, they had food, and at least for the moment they had hope. Each one of them found jobs. Michael decided he wanted to work in the armory. "You guys never let me have my own gun, this way I actually get to touch one." He had joked when he told them where he wanted to work.

Melissa had joined Alexandria's version of the guard. She would keep watch on top of a tower during the afternoon, most days were boring but she was allowed to practice her aim on walkers. When she wanted a break from guard duty she went with the scavenging team to get a chance to see the outside world and remind herself just how dangerous it could be.

It took a while for Abby to find a job she felt comfortable with. She mainly wanted to keep to herself when Melissa and Michael weren't around but the days grew boring with them both working. Then she found her way to the clinic and met with Dr. Howell. He was nice enough, but she could tell he was more business than personable. She helped him with cleaning the equipment and the clinic one day and then when the day ended she asked if she could return the next day. "Sure...if you want." Howell had scoffed.

So life went on. They worked and they adjusted to their new lives. One night Abby and Melissa were sitting on the front porch when Melissa said. "Do you think this can work?"

"I don't know," Abby whispered. "Yeah its great now, we can shower and we have three square meals a day but how long is this going to last?"

"I guess we have to have hope. I'm going to go to bed, I'll see you in the morning." She sighed rising from her seat.

Upstairs Melissa paused in front of Michael's room. Over the past few weeks, even before they had found Alexandria she had grown attached to him. She wasn't sure what to call it just yet she just knew she enjoyed his company. He made her laugh, he had such a carefree attitude after getting to know her. Maybe she was attracted to him, she couldn't deny she thought he was cute but even now when they had been through so much she didn't know how he felt.

Knocking once she heard him call out, "Come in!"

Opening the door she saw him laying on his bed, shirtless, reading whatever book he had found in Deanna's house. It had become his own little haven ever since Deanna had told him he could take whatever book he wanted out of her library. "Just wanted to say good night." Melissa smiled as she watched him put the book down.

"I was hoping you would stop by. Come here." He told her scooting over to let her sit down beside him.

"What?"

"I drew this today when things got boring at the armory." He smiled pulling out a sheet of paper. It was a rose, a beautiful, intricate rose on a long stem.

"What is this?"

"Tattoo design. I remember how you said roses were your favorite flower, I thought you may like it."

"I love it," She grinned. "The only problem is...I can't get a tattoo these days. We don't seem to have a shop in Alexandria."

"See, I got that figured out." Michael laughed going over to his dresser. "I got Aiden to bring me these back from a run."

Melissa giggled seeing him hold up three Sharpies. He was holding them like he was a child with his favorite candy. "Why did you ask for Sharpies?"

"Well I know how you said you always wanted a tattoo and I guess I thought maybe I could give you one. I mean a safe one without needles."

"You want to draw this on me?" She asked holding up the picture of the rose.

"If you let me."

She really didn't have to consider it. Nodding she laughed seeing how happy he was. "So where do you want it?"

"Um..." After thinking for a second she decided. "How about on my side?"

"Ok, get situated and we'll get started." He told her, handing her a pillow to place under her head.

Laying on her side she pulled her shirt up just enough for him to see the skin of her ribcage. She could feel her heart speed up as he moved right in front of her and began drawing. Staring at him she watched as his green/grey eyes moved over her body. His attention fully on the art in front of him. He kept one hand on her side while the other drew the design. At this point her body was numb but she didn't care, being this close to him she could inhale the smell of whatever soap they had in the bathroom along with the tea he had drank before bed.

When he was finally done he blew over the work to make sure it dried. "Now with this one you don't have to worry about taking care of it." He chuckled.

"Yeah but it will wash away after a while."

"In that case you'll just have to come back for another session."

"I think I will." She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.

Even though she was exhausted she felt the other side of the bed dip and noticed the room darken. She felt him gently pull her shirt back in place before getting comfortable beside her. "Good night." He whispered, moving a piece of her dark hair out of her face.

They got comfortable. They swore it would never happen but it did. One day they left the house without their weapons and that was when it happened. Abby and Melissa were walking home when they heard cries and screams coming from the gate. "Get Dr. Howell! Someone please help!" A man cried. He was covered in blood and in his arms he held Aiden who looked like he was clinging to life. Behind them were more of their people, bloody and weak.

"Melissa, get Howell." Abby told her friend who quickly ran back in the direction of the clinic. "What happened?"

"These people...monsters...we were scavenging when they found us." The man, Abby believed his name was James explained. "They told us to give us half of whatever we found. Aiden refused and then they just shot him. It was a fight after that."

Abby tried to stop the bleeding of Aiden's head wound but it was no use. His eyes were already rolling in the back of his head. "Oh my God!" She heard Deanna's pitiful cry.

Abby noticed Spencer off to the side. "Spencer get your mother out of here, she doesn't need to see this."

She didn't like him but at least Spencer listened. He gently grabbed his mother's shaking body and guided her back to their house. When Aiden stopped breathing Abby frowned and told James to let him go. With her help the older man slowly lowered the body to the ground. "Do you have a knife?" She asked him.

Reluctantly he handed her his small pocketknife. Nodding her head in thanks she gently stabbed the skull to prevent reanimation. Pulling it back out she wiped the blood on her jeans before handing it back to James. "We need to get you and the others patched up." She told him.

"Someone's coming!" Someone cried from the tower.

"Who is it?" Aaron called.

"I don't know!"

The sun had begun to set making everyone adjust their eyes to the darkness when bright headlights appeared from the other side of the gate. "Better let us in or we'll just break it down!" A gruff voice yelled from the other side.

Abby glanced at Aaron who slowly nodded his head. Whoever was working the gate opened it and trucks came plowing through by the dozens. Everyone watched in a trance as bodies filed out of the vehicles one by one. Each one of them had a gun, each one of them looked intimidating and Abby realized these were the people she had been running from this entire time. She could hear Alexandrians cry along with the moans of pain from the ones that still needed medical attention.

"Sweetheart, you may want to move out of the way." She heard a deep voice say from behind her.

Turning around she saw a tall boy, he didn't belong with this group, he couldn't. He had long curly hair, with piercing green eyes that bore into her soul. He was dressed just like the others, a white T-shirt and black jeans. On his back he carried a assault rifle. Just him standing so close was enough to terrify her. She didn't even register what he said to her. "Styles, move her." A gruff voice commanded.

Without a word the boy, Styles she assumed, grabbed her arm and moved her back. He moved his big hand on her shoulder to push her down on her knees in front of him. "You may want to close your eyes." He muttered, just low enough for her to hear.

She was about to ask why when the shots rang out. Her mouth fell open as these people killed the ones she had intended to help. One by one the bodies fell and all she could do was stare in shock. Tears fell from her eyes as the blood fill the road. She wanted to scream for them to stop but no noise came from her mouth. They just kept shooting until the same man held up his arm. "Check and make sure they all got a head shot." He instructed like it was nothing, like they hadn't just killed several people.

"Clear, sir!" One of them called out.

They were dead...all of them and she just sat there. Looking around she saw Melissa and Michael off in the distance along with Aaron, they had seen it all. Lowering her head she could feel herself sobbing but stopped when she saw a pair of boots standing in front of her. A rough hand grabbed her chin. "We're gonna need to see your leader."

When she didn't answer he grabbed her arm and pulled her up from the ground. "Go get your fucking leader!" He commanded. "Or you'll be joining your friends!"

On shaky legs she was forced to step over the bodies of the fallen Alexandrians to go up the stairs to Deanna's house. Stepping on the porch she saw them in the window, Deanna, her husband Dale, and Spencer. Opening the door she whispered. "They need to see you."

Melissa watched in horror as Abby guided Deanna down the stairs. Their leader, always so strong and put together, held her hands over her mouth as she looked at her people laying lifeless on the ground. The grass was stained red and dripping down into puddles on the concrete. "W-who are you people?"

"Don't worry, Negan will explain who we are soon enough. For right now you gather your people and come right back here. You and your son over there can clean up the mess here."

Abby moved to follow Deanna when the man told her to stop. "Hey blondie, why don't you stay here? I think Negan will like you."

Abby glanced at Deanna but she didn't pay her attention. Like a robot she walked back over to the man. "You're lucky," He scoffed. "With all that blood on you we might as well believe you belong over there. Negan told us take care of the injured."

She didn't reply, just stared ahead as Spencer and Dale began to pick up the bodies. The man scoffed again. "So she doesn't speak? Fuck man, Styles, you're good with women, you take her. Watch over her, Negan will want to see her when he gets here."

Once again she felt herself being pulled backwards. At this point she just let them drag her wherever they wanted to take her. They were going to kill her it didn't matter now. Styles took her to a truck where he instructed her to get in the bed. Without a word she complied, sitting down on the cool metal and wrapped her arms around her knees. Leaning her head down she felt fresh tears fall and stain her jeans. Whoever this Styles person was she knew he didn't leave, instead he stayed right beside the truck bed. She wasn't sure how long she had been crying but at one point she felt a soft piece of cloth being placed on her hands. Picking her head up she saw him pull his hand back and in her hands was a small rag. "For your hands." He told her.

She stared at her red hands, still stained with Aiden's blood. It disgusted her but she couldn't bring herself to thank him for this pathetic kindness. Instead she tossed the rag back at him. "Don't...don't try and be nice to me after you killed my people." She whispered.

"I didn't kill anyone." He snapped making her wince. "And I could be an asshole to you if that's what you want."

Shaking her head she buried her face in her knees. She didn't want to look at him. Those eyes, those damn eyes made her want to believe he was different but no. If he was with these people he had to be just like them, he was a killer. He may not have pulled the trigger in Alexandria but surely he had before.

Melissa and Michael stood in shock as Deanna rounded up everyone in Alexandria. Children were crying in their mother's arms who couldn't do anything to comfort them. In her mind they were like lambs being led to the slaughter, just like the others. She was terrified, even more so than she ever had. On instinct she grabbed Michael's hand and gripped it tight. Inside she felt a small relief when his fingers wrapped around her's and gave a reassuring squeeze.

Once the whole population of Alexandria stood in front of them. The men went one by one and pointed to certain people. "All right, women with kids get outta here. Go home, leave, I don't give a shit but get outta here." He instructed, they heard someone call him Dean. "You, old timer, go on. You're gonna die any day now anyway. Same with you over there."

Melissa watched as the Alexandrians were dismissed. They were in shock but didn't argue. She hoped they would go to the armory and fight these people but Melissa knew better. Alexandrians were too comfortable here, they didn't bother carrying a weapon, most didn't even know how to operate one. When Dean stepped in front of her he looked her up and down. "Huh...this place sure does have some nice looking women. I thought the pretty ones didn't make it." He smirked.

Michael's hand tightened around her's trying to ease her nerves. Dean continued scrutinizing her until he finally stepped in front of Michael. "Tough guy? Trying to protect your girl?" He sneered. "Good luck with that."

One by one he dismissed other Alexandrians until finally there were only twelve left. In her head Melissa was trying to determine why he sent certain people away and kept others. Then it hit her, 'He got rid of the people he believed to be weak. The mothers, children, and the elderly were gone leaving only what he considered strong.'

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, if you will please follow me." Dean instructed.

With guns pointed at them the remaining Alexandrians filed into a straight line and followed Dean towards the gate. "Styles, bring her too!" He called over to the truck Abby was being held.

Without waiting for him to touch her Abby eased out of the bed of the truck. Silently she found a spot in line and followed the rest of the group out of Alexandria. It was nightfall now making it difficult to see as Dean led them to the woods. Melissa found herself tripping over roots and whatever else was on the forest ground. Off in the distance she could hear the moans from walkers making her tense. 'So this is how they're going to do it? Lead us right into a herd and let the walkers do the job for them?' She thought.

She waited to walk right into a walker herd but instead Dean led them into a clearing where several trucks were already lined up. The headlights blinded her as he told them to line up in front of the trucks. "On your knees." He commanded.

Without a word the Alexandrians crouched onto their knees. Once they were on the ground the men lowered their guns but their presence behind them made sure to tell the Alexandrians not to do anything stupid.

Hesitantly Melissa glanced down the line to find Abby a few people down. Being so close to the assassination of their people was clearly affecting her. Her eyes were still glassy, cheeks flushed with tears, and her clothing stained with blood. At any moment it looked like she was going to break down and Melissa felt the same way. They had never gone through anything this extreme. With everything they've seen, it couldn't prepare them for this.

She wasn't sure how long they had been sitting on their knees. The wet, dewy grass was soaking through Melissa's jeans and her body was stiff but she didn't dare move. Everyone around her was frozen with fear while the men looked on in amusement.

Finally they heard the sound of a loud pickup truck approaching the group. Turning her head Melissa spotted the truck as he tore through the bushes and small trees, creating its own trail. Melissa eyes widened trying to peak at the body exiting the vehicle. The headlights created a shadow, blocking their view but what they did see was a baseball bat in his right hand. Her breathing sped up when she noticed the top of the bat was wrapped in barbwire. "Are ya shitting your pants yet?" They taunted the group.

Abby stared ahead, her eyes only focusing on a pair of combat boots in front of her as they began to pace in front of the group. "I sure am sorry for our introduction. Oh and I'm sorry for not properly introducing myself. I'm Negan." Holding up the bat he smiled. "And this is Lucille, and she's awesome."

Melissa was shaking, she was shaking from fear but also rage. This man was a psychopath and here he was just so casually smiling. And he named is bat? Who does that?

"So I'm guessing you're wondering why I gathered you here today?" Negan spoke again. "As it turns out your little group killed several of our men."

"B-but you killed them?" Aaron stammered.

"I put them out of the misery." Negan snapped. "They weren't gonna make it anyway so I saved you the heartache. But now what's gonna happen is, we're gonna form a little partnership. What I mean by that first is you all are gonna give us half your shit and we'll make sure your little community will stay safe."

"And if we don't?" Michael asked.

Melissa's head snapped towards him. No, no don't argue with him, she was thinking as Michael stared down the man. She watched on as Negan bent down so he was eye level with Michael. "Haven't I already proved myself, son? If not I'll be more than happy to show you why. How about a little game?"

Tears fell from Melissa's eyes as he began to play eeny, meeny, miny, moe, pointing Lucille in everyone's face as he made his way down the line. Stopping for a moment to further intimidate whoever he stopped in front of. When he stopped in front of Abby he looked her up and down. "Now what happened to you?"

Licking her lips Abby looked up at him for the first time. She was terrified to speak but even more terrified not to. "I-I work in the clinic...I was gonna help our people before they..." She couldn't finish.

"I see...well then for your people's sake they better hope you don't get picked." Negan smirked as he moved his way down.

"And...you...are...it." He sang as he stepped in front of Aaron. "Get him."

The Alexandrians watched in horror as two men grabbed Aaron from under his armpits and dragged him towards the front of the group. "If anyone tries to stop it you'll just make it worse." Negan instructed. "You can move, you can cry, you can blink...hell you're gonna do that anyway." He snarled as he held Lucille in the air and brought her down right onto Aaron's skull.

The sound of the crack filled the air sent a chill down Melissa's spine. Blood flowed down the wound into his eyes as he tried to pick his head up only to slam back down onto the cold ground. Michael tried to look away, tried to ignore the sounds of the bat crushing his skull but it was impossible, there was no escaping this. Tears fell from Abby's eyes as she heard Aaron's groans of pain until they finally stopped. Once his body stopped moving Negan swung the bat around, blood flying off the end landing on Melissa and Michael's faces. "Now son...do I make myself clear?" He questioned.

Michael choked and began to sob. Lowering his chin to his chest he felt the tears soak his shirt. "I guess I did." Negan chuckled. "Now that we have an understanding...who's the leader?"

Until now Deanna had cowered in the middle of the group. Her usual calm, professional demeanor was long gone. She wasn't crying, she felt like she was in shock. Aaron's body was the only thing she could see. "I won't ask again," Negan's voice rang in her ears. "Who is the motherfucking leader?"

Cringing Deanna slowly raised her hand. "I-I am."

Negan took a step back in surprise. "Oh...didn't expect that." He laughed. "Well then, your name, madam?"

Deanna choked the words out. "Deanna."

"Ain't that nice," Negan mocked. "So here's what's gonna happen, you and your group are gonna give us half of your shit. I don't care if you have to steal, scrounge, whatever you have to but its ours. When we come to your homes you let us in. If we knock on your door you will let us in, we own that fucking door. If not we will break that motherfucker down, got it?"

When no one answered he yelled. "I asked if y'all got the message?"

Slowly they began to nod their heads. "Good, good, but first I want to see where you motherfuckers live, I got to make sure its acceptable, right? So Deanna, you're gonna take me while the rest of your people wait here. If anyone tries anything my men won't hesitate to put you down, got it?"

Again everyone nodded. "I'm glad we have an understanding. Deanna if you please, come with me."

Deanna wasn't able to answer. She was hauled up by her arms and dragged to the truck Negan had arrived in. "Hank, come with me, if anyone needs me he has a radio." Negan instructed as Deanna was loaded into the truck.

Just like that their world was flipped upside down. Now they were in way over their heads and for the first time they didn't have a plan. It all seemed so hopeless, darkness was closing in.


	2. Chapter 2

Everything was silent with the exception of the soft cries coming from the Alexandrians, still trying to process their dear friend being murdered right in front of them. Spencer and Dale sat back in fear of Deanna being gone. Who knows what Negan would do with her, who knows what he would do to the people of Alexandria.

Abby glanced up from Aaron's body to see the same boy who had held her in that truck. He stood off to the side, his eyes focused on the lineup scanning each one of their faces until he stopped at her. Looking him over she saw his muscles through his white t shirt. Tattoos decorated his skin, he had more than Michael, she could see dark traces of more ink on his collarbones. His long hair reached his shoulders. He stood out from this group, not only did he look young but he didn't look like a killer but the rifle on his back said otherwise.

The sound of a radio crackling broke the silence of the woods. "Bring them back," Negan's voice pierced through them.

"Got it, boss." Dean nodded towards the men standing behind them to get them up. "Move out."

Just like before they walked through the woods back towards Alexandria. They could hear the walkers off in the distance. At this point they would rather be in the company of walkers.

The sight of the Alexandria gates was always a sense of comfort, always a sign of coming home. Now it felt like a prison. They were at the mercy of Negan and his men, they were going to have to work for these men or they would end up like Aaron. Inside the gate Negan was waiting for them with his arm around Deanna. "Quite the place you got here." He grinned. "Who built these walls?"

Deanna cringed. "My husband designed them, our people helped him build them."

"Well they did a bang up job, such a great job I think this will be a good place for my men."

"What are you sayin,' boss?" Dean asked.

"I just get the feeling these shitheads are gonna need some...guidance, don't you think? I think it will do them some good if some of our men hung around here."

"Move in?" Another one questioned.

"Yeah, plus I'm gonna keep some eyes on this place, I just have the feeling you fuckers aren't going to keep your end of the deal."

Deanna refused to look at him. When she didn't answer Negan continued. "They have plenty of room, Dean you pick the men that are gonna stay. They can pick whatever house they want. If the current tenants don't want to move then that's their problem but I have a feeling everyone will be more than accommodating, right Deanna?"

"Yes." Deanna whispered.

"Great, I'm glad we have an understanding. I'll be back in two weeks for my first payment. Whoever is not staying move out!"

With that he strolled out of Alexandria leaving Dean to decide who was going to stay. Faintly Abby heard names being called out, one in particular. " _Styles_ , Henry, and...Davis. Everyone else file out!"

The rest of the Alexandrians had left their houses as the rest of Negan's group was leaving. One by one the trucks left, the tires destroyed the yards tearing up the grass and slinging dirt everywhere. When the last one was gone the realization hit the rest of the community. Life as they knew it was no longer.

Melissa frowned when she saw a familiar face in the crowd. Aaron's boyfriend, Eric, was searching for him. "W-where is he?" Eric whispered.

"Eric..." Deanna muttered.

"No...where's Aaron?" Eric demanded.

Michael shook his head. "He's gone."

"No...no..." Was all Eric mumbled, his hands covered his eyes and sobs shook him.

His cries were the only thing Melissa could hear. They made her think of all the nights she cried at the thought of her family being possibly gone. At the time she only felt heartbreak, the complete and utter heartbreak of thinking the worst happened to the people she loved most.

"All right, quit blubbering," A harsh voice snapped. "Ain't someone gonna show us around our new home?"

When no one spoke someone else chuckled. "Well don't jump all at once."

"I'll do it," Spencer volunteered.

As he passed his mother he gave her arm a gentle squeeze he led the men down the road. Once they were all gone the Alexandrians all crowded around their leader. "What do we do?"

Deanna shook her head. "I'm not longer in charge." She whispered. "Negan is...everyone else do what they say. We'll do runs every day until we gather enough supplies to give them. For now...please...just leave me be."

At her words Dale wrapped his arm around her shoulders to gently lead her towards their house. Together they walked through the crowd of people they had sworn to protect. They had promised they would be safe in Alexandria. Both refused to look in the faces of the people they had disappointed. There was no denying they had let them down, the walls didn't protect them, instead the threat just walked in and broke what they had built.

When they heard the door shut everyone stood around, not wanting to return to their houses, if they even had their own homes anymore. They could still hear Eric's soft cries reminding them of their fallen, bodies still needed to be buried. Aaron was still laying on the forest floor, no one was allowed to carry him back into the community. "I'll take him home," Abby muttered, wrapping arm around Eric to lead him away.

"We should all go home," Michael whispered.

"What if we don't have a home?" Someone asked.

"Then we band together," Melissa answered. "Stay together. If someone needs a bed let them have it. We'll figure this out first thing in the morning."

They had no choice but to agree. Without a word they broke apart and headed off in different directions. Wives who had lost their husbands banded together and decided to stay as close as possible with their children. At this time they relied on the friends they had made within the Alexandria walls.

"Come on," Michael urged, grabbing Melissa's hand. "We can't do anything here."

He was right, she knew that but she didn't want to accept it. These were her people, they took them in, gave them clothes, fed them, and now they were just gone. They were laying on the ground, they didn't even have a chance of surviving.

The walk to their house felt like it took ages. From the sidewalk they could see some of the men had taken over some of the homes. Some sat on the front porches but mostly they spotted them through the windows. It hadn't taken them long to make themselves at home. "Kicking up their feet like they own shit," Michael sneered.

"They do..." Melissa murmured.

Stopping in front of their house they noticed one of the living room lights was on. "Someone's here." Michael thought out loud.

"Maybe its Abby," Melissa hoped.

"Only one way to find out."

Taking the steps one by one, hand in hand they opened the front door and waited. At first they didn't hear anyone making them hope they were just being paranoid. Stepping inside they took a deep sigh of relief when they heard someone come down the stairs. "Oh...thought I was alone." They watched the man, even though he looked to be their age, saunter into the kitchen.

When they didn't speak he narrowed his green eyes. "Can either of you talk?"

Clearing her throat Melissa croaked. "D-do we have to leave?"

"No, I was looking upstairs, there seems to be enough room for all of us. You can call me Harry by the way."

How could he act so casual? How could he just walk into their house as if nothing had happened? Crossing her arms Melissa said. "Someone else is here too. She should be back soon."

"Well the more the merrier." Harry smiled grabbing a water bottle from the fridge. "I hope you don't mind."

Melissa shook her head in disbelief, Michael just stared at the boy in front of him. "N-no, go ahead."

"Thanks, mate."

While Melissa and Michael stood in the doorway Harry strolled around the living room. Michael noticed the rifle laying on top of the kitchen counter, it would be so easy just to shoot him but then what price would he pay? One dead but then a whole army ready to take his place.

"Well if we're gonna be living together don't you think I should know your names?" Harry asked breaking Michael away from his thoughts.

Glancing between each other Michael sighed. "I'm Michael...this is Melissa...our other roommate is Abby."

As he said her name they heard the door open. An exhausted, dazed Abby walked through. Her eyes saw Melissa and Michael first but then like a magnet she looked over to see Harry sitting on the plush couch, his feet kicked up on the coffee table as if he owned the house. She guessed he did now, all of Negan's men did. "He's..." She whispered.

"Living here," Melissa answered.

"Hello love, we weren't properly introduced earlier. My name is Harry." He said, an amused look on his face.

"Abby...if you'll excuse me." She muttered, leaving the room to go upstairs.

Once she was gone Harry glanced at Michael. "She'll get used to me, all of you will."

Shaking her head Melissa excused herself to follow her friend only to find her throwing up in the bathroom. Quickly so no one would hear Melissa closed the door before bending down to hold Abby's hair back. This whole night had taken a toll on them and it wasn't over yet.

When she was done Abby flushed the toilet and leaned back. "This is so fucked up," Melissa murmured as they both rested their backs against the bathtub.

"How are we going to get out of this?" Abby asked. "He's living here...they're all living here."

"And we have to do exactly what Negan says or he'll kill us just like he did Aaron." She muttered. "He's still out there...how's Eric?"

"About as well as you would expect. He's heartbroken, he's angry...he's scared just like the rest of us."

"We'll get through this. This may be awful but we'll get through it."

"Now look who's being hopeful." Abby smiled, wiping her face. "I need a shower...I'll come see you when I get out."

Nodding Melissa left the bathroom to head back downstairs. From the bottom stair she looked into the living room. Harry still sat on the couch he had originally taken but now Michael was sitting across from him. From where she was standing she could hear Harry talking but Michael kept every answer short and to the point. "How old are you?" "Twenty one." "How long have you lived here?" "A few months." And so on.

Finally she guessed Harry had enough. "All right...its been a long night. If you two don't mind I would like to get some sleep. Just take a bedroom?"

"Yeah, yeah that's fine." Melissa told him but he was already passing her to head upstairs.

When he was gone she could tell Michael was seething. "This is bullshit. We're just supposed to be ok with him coming in here and taking over?"

Afraid Harry would hear Melissa grabbed Michael's wrist and dragged him outside to the back porch. "What choice do we have? Do you want to go somewhere else? I'm sure Eric would like the company tonight."

"No...no this is _our_ house. I've already had one home taken from me I'm not letting another one go."

"Then we stay...and we keep moving. That's the only way we're going to get out of this mess."

After a long hot shower Abby wrapped her body in a big towel and left the bathroom. She didn't know where Michael and Melissa were, she couldn't hear them anywhere on the second floor. The chill of the house hit her bare skin causing her to forget about the search for her friends until after she got dressed. Opening the door to her bedroom she almost screamed when she saw another body laying in her bed. She could feel her hands begin to shake when Harry looked up from the book he was reading to scan her body up and down. "Well then...our living arrangements just got a lot better." He smirked.

Shaking off his comment she just shook her head. "Look you can have the room just...can you leave for a second to let me get changed?" She asked, her voice unsteady.

Whether he took pity on her or if he could use this to mock her later was unclear but to her surprise he simply hopped off the bed to walk out of the room. His arm just barely brushing her as he walked passed. Her breath caught in her throat once he shut the door behind him. Snapping out of her trance she quickly grabbed a pair of pajamas and changed, she didn't want to take advantage of this brief moment of kindness.

On her way back down to the living room she stopped by the hall closet to grab an extra blanket and pillow Melissa had found on a run. Gathering them in her arms she walked back downstairs to see Harry already laying on the couch with his eyes closed. He seemed to hear her though as she got closer. "You can have the room." She whispered when she saw his eyes were on her.

"No, no you have it. I've slept in worst spots than this."

"Are you sure?"

"Don't ask again or I may change my mind."

Shutting her mouth she decided not to argue. "Here's a pillow and blanket. It gets a little cold in here at night."

He didn't say thank you, just closed his eyes again and ignored her as she left the room. On her way she noticed Michael and Melissa sitting on the back porch. Opening the door she said. "Hey...I think it would best for us to try and get some sleep. We'll have a busy day tomorrow."

"She has a point," Michael sighed. "Where's our house guest?"

"He said he was going to sleep on the couch." Abby explained as they headed to their rooms. "I'll see you guys in the morning."

Melissa and Michael stood in the hallway, neither wanting to part just so soon. "Um...if its ok with you...could I maybe sleep in your room tonight? It sounds pathetic but I don't really want to sleep alone." Melissa asked.

"Yeah, yeah I think we both need that."

Hurrying into her room Melissa changed into an oversized T-shirt before going back into Michael's room. He had already changed into a pair of loose sweatpants, his chest was bare as he threw the covers back. Sliding in he waited for Melissa to get in her spot. As she sat down she couldn't help but think back to the last time she shared a bed with a boy. It had to have been when she was in college. She couldn't remember the guy's name, she just knew she had one too many shots and ended up making out with him in his tiny dorm room bed. The next morning she woke up with a terrible hangover and an overwhelming sense of regret.

Swallowing her nerves she climbed into bed next to Michael. Even though she knew her feelings she knew this would probably just mean nothing to him. Not nothing, but it was just two friends seeking comfort in each other after a terrible night. Either way she would take it, at the moment she just needed to be in his presence.

As he turned on the light Melissa pulled the covers up to her chin. Taking several breaths she turned to face him, she could just barely see him through the darkness. "Good night."

"Good night." He told her, moving his arm to gently place is over her side.

Being so close was a sense of comfort but also set her nerves on fire. This was someone she deeply cared for, after that night she knew either one of them could die at anytime. She wished she had more courage, she wished she could just tell him. Maybe she would soon but for right now all she needed was to be close to him. Snuggling deeper into his embrace she fell asleep, the previous events still haunted her but at least she had someone she loved close by.

The next morning Abby got dressed, braided her hair and decided to head straight to the clinic. Even if she wasn't needed she needed to be out of the house. After pulling on her boots and placing her gun in her back pocket she headed down to see Harry still asleep. He hadn't taken the pillow but the blanket was casually placed over his long, lanky body. He still had his boots on, but he looked to be peaceful.

Quietly Abby grabbed a notepad and pen from a kitchen drawer. 'Went to the clinic, come find me if you need me.' She signed her name and left it laying on the counter. Inside she felt guilty for leaving Melissa and Michael but if Harry didn't try anything during the dead of night he wouldn't do anything during the day.

The morning fog still filled the streets as she walked towards the clinic. There was a chill in the air and it wasn't because of the weather changing. Alexandria felt darker after the night before, the once peaceful community was now stained.

As she walked down the sidewalk, deliberately taking her time, she noticed a few of Negan's men were already out and about. Their guns strapped to their backs gave them an even more intimidating feel. They stood in the middle of the street talking amongst themselves as she walked passed. "Hey girl!" She heard one say.

Stopping she closed her eyes before turning around. It was either acknowledge them or get shot in the back. "Yes?" She asked.

"You know you don't need that gun right?"

As if on instinct her hand went around to rest on top of the weapon. "I just like to have it." She said, inside she was slapping herself for even talking back to them.

"Well we're here now, don't you know? We're called the Saviors, you can go ahead and hand that over."

She knew better than to argue. Grabbing the gun she pulled it out and handed it to the older man. With a grin he checked the chamber before pushing the small gun into his pocket. "Now move along." He told her making her skin crawl.

Biting her tongue Abby left the group of men and headed straight to the clinic. The confrontation bugged her to no end. Not only were these 'Saviors' now invading Alexandria but they didn't want them arming themselves, they didn't want them to protect themselves. If they wanted to take over the community they could, only a handful of Alexandrians knew how to fight, most had been sheltered within the walls since the start of the apocalypse. They didn't stand a chance if Negan decided he wanted to just take over and kill everyone that stood in his way.

Once she got closer to the clinic she was surprised to see a younger face sitting on the front steps of the makeshift clinic. "Kennedy? Kennedy, sweetie, what are you doing here?" Abby asked taking a seat beside the nine year old girl.

"Daddy didn't come home yesterday." She said softly.

Frowning Abby realized Kennedy's father, Mick, had been on the run the previous day. He was one of the Alexandrians that was slaughtered by Negan's men. "I had to stay with Miss Lauren's last night...everyone knows that's where kids go when they don't have a mommy or daddy."

"Does she know you're here?"

Nodding Kennedy looked at Abby with tears in her big brown eyes. "Why did Daddy have to go?"

Abby's heart shattered all over again. She had met Kennedy and Mick shortly after she started working in the clinic. Kennedy was prone to nose bleeds and since Mick was raising her by himself he worried constantly. Her mother had passed away before the turn, it had just been father and daughter since the start. Mick had done everything he could to protect his only child. It had been enough while they were on the road. Things got much easier when they found Alexandria. Kennedy made new friends and Mick became a big part of their scavenging group.

"Sweetie...remember what we talked about right? Sometimes things happen, things that are out of our control." Abby whispered, trying her best to comfort the little girl.

"Does that mean he's in heaven with Mommy?"

"Yes, yes he is," She answered, even if sometimes her faith wavered she wanted Kennedy to believe. She was too young to give up hope, to grow up in this world she had to believe in something.

"I want to see him again but I know he wants me to be strong."

"Yes he does, now would you like to help me? I think I have some cleaning to do. Its not very exciting but I don't think Miss Lauren would mind if you hang out for a little while."

"Ok, I don't like it at her house anyway." Kennedy frowned. "The other kids are bigger than me and don't want to play."

"I'll talk to her about that, ok?"

"Ok," Giving her a small smile Abby led her inside the clinic. There wasn't much to do but the best she could do was keep the girl busy, keep her mind distracted just for a little while at least.

When Melissa woke up she was upset seeing the other side of the bed empty. Sitting up she noticed the bedroom door was open and the smell of something cooking coming from the kitchen. Thinking it must be Michael, he usually did the cooking in the house, she got up and headed downstairs. "Michael?" She called, the smell getting closer filling her nose.

To her surprise it wasn't Michael in the kitchen. "Oh..." She whispered seeing Harry standing at the stove.

He didn't say anything, just continued with his food. When he finally looked in her direction he told her. "I thought everyone was gone, hope you don't mind."

"No, no go ahead. Abby probably went to the infirmary did you see where Michael went?"

Shaking his head he piled the eggs onto a plate. "Someone brought these by this morning. I guess you people aren't too incompetent if you get fresh eggs."

"Thank Mr. Baxter for that, his whole backyard is dedicated to his chicken coup." She explained.

"Well...I made plenty if you want some."

Melissa glanced up but he didn't meet her eyes. Why was be being nice? When she came downstairs she noticed the couch was messed up, did he really sleep on the couch the previous night when he could have easily taken a bed? What was his game? She had more questions but the growling in her stomach silenced them. "Thanks," She muttered scooping a small amount onto a plate. "I wish we could find some hot sauce on a run."

"That's what you want most?"

"One of the things, me and Abby had a whole list at one point."

"So you two were on the road together?" He asked shoveling some eggs into his mouth.

What was the point in holding back? He was already living in their house, they weren't going to get rid of him. "Yeah...we were then we met Michael. It was just us three for a while before we found this place."

"Family?"

"Abby and Michael's families are dead," She answered, she didn't want to tell him too much but he didn't seem so intimidating when he wasn't around the rest of Negan's men. "I don't know what happened to mine."

Nodding he continued to eat his food, Melissa waited for him to add anything to their conversation but he didn't offer anything about himself. Not wanting to force him, they had made a little progress at least, she let it go. She quickly finished her food and decided she needed to find Michael. Without saying anything else to Harry she got dressed and headed out.

She passed a few men on her way out of Alexandria but none of them spoke to her. With only a knife by her side she just headed straight for the gate. Samuel nodded his head as he opened it but didn't say anything. She didn't even ask if Michael had gone through, she already knew. Taking a deep breath she went down the same path they had been led the night before. The flashbacks hit her hard as she walked over the same twigs had tripped her perviously. Fear wasn't ruling her though, now she just felt anxiety of finding Michael and what she knew he was doing.

Just like she expected she found him in the same clearing they had been. Where they met Negan, where Aaron was murdered. "Michael?" She whispered getting his attention.

When he turned around her heart broke when she saw the tears in his eyes. "I-I came here to bury him." He choked.

Stepping forward Melissa looked at the ground to see the only remains were bits of brain matter, nothing else was there. The ground was stained red but it was like Aaron had never been there. "He's gone...they ate him last night. We shouldn't have left."

"They didn't give us a choice."

"Its my fault! Its my fault he was killed, if I had just kept my mouth shut."

"Hey, no, no," She muttered placing her hands on either side of his face. "Don't put that guilt on yourself. It was going to happen regardless. Negan wanted to make himself known, he wanted to scare us."

"Well he did...he made himself perfectly clear."

"We'll stop him, we'll figure this out somehow but please promise me you won't run off like that. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you."

Michael shrugged. "You got along just fine without me before, you would again."

She couldn't hear him downplay this anymore. His guilt was evident along with how defeated his voice sounded. She couldn't take it. Making him look her in the eye she leaned forward until her lips touched his. She could feel him tense, he was obviously taken by surprise but that didn't stop him from kissing her back. Instead of pulling away his hands rested on her hips in a tight grip. Both released every emotion they could in this kiss, the grief, fear, love, she could have sworn she felt everything.

Off in the distance she heard a walker, if there was one there would be more coming soon. "We better get back," She whispered, reaching down to take his hand.

"Yeah, yeah, we need to gather people for a run anyway." He told her as they began walking.

As they headed back Michael knew his plan but he didn't want to tell her just yet. He knew should object, she would try to talk him out of it. It was dangerous, it was stupid but it was the only way. For them to save themselves and the rest of Alexandria he was going to have to kill Negan.

"Ok let me see, Marcus," Abby sighed leaning down to see the boy's hand.

She could hear the boy whimpering as she gently took his hand in hers. "Can you make a fist for me?" She asked.

Very limply the boy made a fist. "I think you just sprained it." She told him. "I'm gonna have to wrap it up and you are going to have to take it easy for a few weeks, ok? Kennedy can you hand me some gauze?"

Without a question Kennedy hopped off her stool to run over to the medical supplies cabinet. Ever since the morning she insisted on being Abby's helper for the day. Dr. Howell still hadn't made an appearance leaving Abby alone to tend to patients.

Once Kennedy came back she gently pulled on Abby's sleeve indicating for her to bend down. "There's a man outside, asking if he can come in. You said don't talk to strangers so I came straight here." She whispered.

"Good job," Abby smiled. "You stay here and make sure Marcus doesn't move his wrist until I get back, all right?"

"Ok!" Kennedy grinned.

Chuckling at her enthusiasm Abby left the kids to see who was at the front door. Her smile fell when she saw Harry standing in the doorway. "A little girl kind of opened the door and then ran away," He explained.

"Yeah...she's not allowed to talk to strangers." Abby sighed. "Do you need something?"

Harry shrugged. "I was bored, thought I might take a look around and hang out a little bit."

He had his gun strapped to his back which she knew would terrify Kennedy and Marcus. Against her better judgment she nodded. "Come on in but could you leave that right here? I don't want it scaring the kids."

"The dead are eating people and you think my rifle is gonna scare them?"

Frowning she whispered. "I just want to protect them as much as I can, ok? Please?"

"Fine," Grabbing the strap he took it off and placed it beside the door.

As they walked down the small hallway she could feel his eyes burning holes through her back. She felt like her heart was in her throat but put on a brave face when she saw Kennedy stare at her. Just from the look in the young girl's eyes she could see the fear when she spotted Harry enter the room. "Kennedy, this is Harry, he's one of the men that moved in last night." Abby explained trying to leave as much detail out as she could.

To her surprise Harry crouched down so he was eye level with the child. "Someone told me you weren't allowed to talk to strangers, very smart. My name is Harry though." He said holding out his hand.

Hesitantly Kennedy placed her smaller hand in Harry's much larger one. "I'm Kennedy." She murmured.

"See, now we're not strangers anymore."

"Ok." She smiled softly.

The exchange should not have warmed Abby's heart the way it was. Harry may not have been one of those who pulled the trigger but he was still apart of Negan's group. He was technically the enemy so why was he trying to make such an effort? Was this all fake?

Shaking it off she went back to Marcus. "Now for you, lets get this wrist wrapped, ok?"

"Are you gonna tell my mom?" Marcus cried.

"Well I remember her telling you _before_ to stop acting like Spider-Man, and you haven't been bitten by a radioactive spider so you shouldn't be trying to jump off porches." Abby joked trying to make the boy smile.

It didn't work, tears still fell from his eyes as she gently wrapped his wrist. "You're going to be fine though, all right? No more tears." She told him finishing up the wrap. Grabbing a rag she wiped his face. "Just try to be more careful next time."

"I will, Miss Abby." Marcus muttered as she helped him off the table.

"Good, Kennedy do you want to walk our patient out?"

"Yeah! Come on, Marcus, sorry you don't get a lollipop. Miss Abby says Dr. Howell refuses to have any in the office." Kennedy grumbled as they walked out.

"Dr. Howell?" Harry asked.

"He runs the clinic." Abby answered.

"Then where is he?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. He has a lot of 'personal days.'"

"The kid could have broken his wrist the doctor is out sitting on his ass, no doubt."

Abby couldn't disagree. Not only was Dr. Howell a grumpy doctor but he was known to be a bit of an alcoholic. There had been a few days she had to beg him to leave early because the smell of alcohol was too strong. He would finally leave but not before he caused a scene in front of all the patients, children included.

"Knock, knock," Abby heard from behind her.

"Spencer, hi," She said not completely surprised by his entrance.

"Who are you?" Spencer asked, his eyes never leaving Harry.

"Harry, you?"

"I'm Spencer Monroe, I'm Deanna's son."

"Oh so you're the leader's son, that explains it." Harry mumbled.

Spencer rolled his eyes, ignoring Harry and focusing on Abby. "Well Abby, if you're about done I could walk you home."

"Oh wow, what time is it?"

"Its almost dinnertime."

"Um," She muttered glancing at Harry. "No thanks, Spencer, I have some stuff to finish up here."

"Well you shouldn't be walking around by yourself with _them_ here," He sneered, once again ignoring Harry's threatening presence.

"Mate, you must be really fucking stupid," Harry growled.

Abby noticed the shift in Harry's attitude. She also noticed Kennedy walk back into the room. Stepping in front of the two men she placed a hand on Harry's chest. "Spencer, please just leave. I appreciate the concern but I can handle myself. Just go."

The words hit Spencer right to his ego. He went from friendly to pissed in a split second. Throwing his hands up he snapped. "Fine, be his whore, go right ahead."

Abby felt Harry push against her hand but she kept a firm grip on him. She wasn't even sure why he was mad, why should he even care? "Kennedy, you ok?" Abby asked once Spencer was gone.

Nodding the little girl ran right into Abby's arms. "Its ok," She whispered hugging the girl tight. "Come on, I'll walk you to Miss Lauren's."

"Can I come back tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yes you can, as long as she says its ok."

"Harry, will you come back?" She questioned looking up at the tall man.

Harry glanced at Abby before answering. "I'm actually going on a supply run tomorrow, sweetheart, maybe some other day."

"Ok, bye Harry." She smiled taking Abby's hand.

As they were leaving Harry said. "I'll see you back at the house."

She shouldn't, she knows she shouldn't, but Abby couldn't help but feel happy about him being there. Mentally she scolded herself and walked out of the clinic with Kennedy in tow.

Back at the house Michael excused himself to take a shower while Melissa sat on the front porch for Abby to get home. She had to talk to someone about the kiss, it was just a spur of the moment thing and Michael didn't really talk to her during their walk home. Inside she felt incredibly silly thinking about this, like they didn't have bigger things to worry about, but she just hoped she didn't ruin her relationship with him before it even starts.

Finally she saw her blonde friend walk towards the porch. "Ok...I might have done something stupid."

"Oh no...please don't start a conversation like that right now." Abby pleaded taking a seat on the porch steps.

"Sorry, but...I kissed Michael." Melissa blurted.

"Well its about time," Abby chuckled. "Why are you so worried? You two have liked each other for months now."

"Have I been that obvious?"

"Yes, so why are you freaking out?"

"I don't know, I kissed him and then he acted like it didn't happen."

"Well Melissa I hate to say it but we have a lot going on right now. Think about it, you probably just surprised him."

"You're right, I'm being stupid. So how was your day?"

"Some saviors took my gun, that was how it started."

"Saviors? That's what they call themselves?"

"Yeah, I couldn't believe it either. And then Harry came by the clinic."

Somehow that didn't surprise Melissa. "Its weird, he's so...nice...I thought they were supposed to be evil and want to kill us but then Harry cooked eggs this morning. Its weird."

"I know, he said he's going on a run tomorrow."

"I thought we were supposed to be the ones going on runs? We gotta give Negan half of our stuff the next time he comes."

"I know," Abby repeated. "This all is so confusing, it makes my head hurt. I think I'm gonna go lay down."

"Do you want something to eat?"

"No, I'm fine. I'll see you in the morning."

They all needed sleep but it felt like a chore to try and rest. Her stomach was growling but Abby didn't want to eat, she just wanted to crawl into bed and forget about the world for a little while. Taking off her boots and jeans she curled up into a ball and tried to drift off.

As Melissa was finishing up a small dinner she heard a knock at the front door. Turning the heat on the stove down she went over to see Dale standing on the front porch. "Dale...how's Deanna?" She asked.

"Um...she has shut herself off in the bedroom. I haven't been able to reach her all day. I was just coming by to say we buried the bodies just outside the gate."

"Oh ok...Michael and I went to try and find Aaron. There was nothing left." She muttered.

"We made him a grave anyway, Eric made a marker for it."

"Ok, that's the best we could do, I guess."

Dale nodded his head, his eyes looked empty and his body was tired. Taking pity on him Melissa leaned up to give him a small hug. "I'm so sorry about Aiden."

Shrugging off her hug Dale mumbled. "We all lost something last night...Good night, my dear." And with that he walked off into the night.

"Who was that?" Michael asked as she was shutting the door.

"Dale, he's not doing so well. Deanna is even worse." She answered. "He said they buried the bodies, they made a grave for Aaron too."

"I still wish we could have found _something_ to bring back for Eric."

"I know, but its the best they could do. Come on, I made dinner."

The next morning Abby was the first one awake again. It was still dark, no moonlight, just the fog was all she could see as she looked out the window. Pulling on a sweatshirt she decided she didn't want to leave just yet, she just needed to sit in the quiet. Downstairs Harry was once again sleeping on the couch, boots still on, the blanket she had given him the first night draped over him. Quietly as she could she opened the back door to step outside. It was chilly, the wind prickling the skin of her legs as she sat down on the back steps.

It wasn't long afterward she heard someone else walk out. "Morning," Melissa whispered. "How did you sleep?"

"Ok...I still feel exhausted though."

Nodding her head Melissa thought back to the nights where the girls would camp out under the stars. Whenever neither could sleep they would talk about life before the turn which would lead to them saying what they missed most. Even though it should've been sad it was actually a little bit of therapy to let out their feelings. Once they expressed what they missed they could focus on moving forward. "You know what I miss? Chocolate sundaes,the ones with just a little bit of vanilla ice cream but a lot of hot fudge."

Abby smiled softly, she knew exactly what Melissa was doing. "I miss just going to the store and getting exactly what I needed."

"I miss my makeup..." Melissa frowned. "Going out on a Saturday night with my friends with a nice dress on and my makeup done."

"I miss my dog." Turning her head Melissa realized she had never heard her friend talk about her dog. "He was just this little thing I brought home one day after work. He was wandering around in the parking lot, he was skin and bones pretty much. I begged my parents for hours to let me keep him until they finally agreed."

"What kind was he?"

"He was a mix, I'm not even sure what he was mixed with. He was black and white with a little bit of brown along his face. His fur was kind of curly and thick. He was so shaggy by the time I had to take him to the groomers." The thought brought a smile to her lips. "Jeff killed him when he killed my parents."

Bowing her head Melissa didn't want to hear anymore. Back when they were still on the road it took several months for her to find out what really happened to Abby's family. After the turn she had lived with her parents and several close friends in a small community in their hometown. They stayed there for a few months without any incidents. Abby's father was the leader, he was firm but fair in his leadership and at first no one had any objections until mid summer. It was getting hotter, supplies were dwindling and tensions were high. One day Abby left to go on a run with a few other members. It had actually been a good run, they felt good when they returned. It was different as soon as they got back. Dropping everything she had gotten Abby ran back to her house to find her family slaughtered. Jeff owned up to it pretty quick, he wanted to control everything, he wanted to run how to community went. Soon his plan fell apart because everyone turned against him. The community was overrun by walkers before the summer ended. Jeff ended up being bitten and Abby was the one who put him down.

"I need to get to the clinic. I told Kennedy she could come back today."

"Ok, I think Michael and I are gonna go on a run."

"Well you two please be careful."

"We will," Melissa promised as they gave each other a hug.

Life continued on as normal as it could. Michael and Melissa went on runs almost every day, collecting anything and everything they could while Abby worked at the clinic. Harry continued to live with them and continued to confuse all three of them. In the morning he would usually make breakfast before he left and then in the evenings he would come back late and go right to sleep. What confused them most was they didn't feel like they were walking on eggshells around them. He didn't try to scare them, he didn't try to rule the house like the rest of the Saviors did. Still he didn't offer any information about himself, he barely made conversation with any of them. It was like pulling teeth just getting him to answer a simple question.

Negan's visits came and went. He would take almost everything the Alexandrians collected and then some leaving the residents barely making it. Food was scarce and with the Saviors living in Alexandria they got first dibs on whatever was brought in and then everyone else was left to pick at the remains.

Deanna was like a shell of the leader she once was. Whenever she would leave her house she would avoid her people, she mainly only left when Negan came. She would watch from afar as he and his followers would gather their supplies and would go back into her home when they left. Things were falling apart and she didn't do anything to stop it.

It was now winter, months after Negan took over Alexandria. The weather was colder, everything was dry, and every day life was becoming even more of a struggle. Every night a Savior would come by and tell them when they had to shut off their lights. They weren't allowed to use any electricity leaving them freezing and having to come up with any means possible to keep warm. There was also the possibility of illness with the weather change. Dr. Howell and Abby had their hands full every day with everything mixed from colds to one case of pneumonia. Unfortunately, with the Saviors taking the majority of their medications, the patient passed away soon after being diagnosed. That was a rough day on Abby since she was the one to find her and she was the one that had to make sure the patient didn't reanimate.

When she got home she broke down in the living room. Luckily no one else was home letting her release her emotions without having to explain it. Even when she tried to do everything in her power to make sure people lived, it wasn't enough. Picking herself off the floor she headed upstairs to her room. Undressing as she went she opened the door to her bedroom to see something new laying on her bed. Her mouth fell open when she picked up a small stuffed animal but it wasn't just any stuffed animal. It was a black and white dog with a little bit of brown on the face, just like the one she told Melissa about. She let a sob escape as she cuddle the dog to her chest. It was strange though when she thanked Melissa for the gift Melissa just stared at her. "I didn't get you that."

"Then who did?" Abby asked.

"I don't know, its cute though."

It was, even if she didn't know who gave it to her Abby accepted the comfort. Every night after she received the dog it stayed in her bed cuddled into her chest. After that the girls would find little gifts like that when they least expected them. One day Melissa found a bottle of hot sauce in their cabinet like it had always been there. A few days later Abby found a jar of lollipops outside the front door of the clinic. It didn't make any sense. "I've only ever told one person about hot sauce." Melissa said one night as they sat in the kitchen.

"Who?"

"Harry."

"You think Harry is doing this? Why?"

"I don't know, I don't know what this guy's deal is. He works with Negan but then he does all this? It doesn't make any sense."

It didn't in fact Abby was sure she had never been so confused by a man. During the days Harry wouldn't be around, he would usually be with the other saviors but then at night she would see him off in the distance watching her as she left the clinic. She never told this to Melissa, she never thought anything of it but now she wanted to know just what was behind his motives.

There had been a quiet shift between Michael and Melissa's relationship. They didn't talk about it but there had been a change. They would be more affectionate behind closed doors and kiss whenever they would be separated for the day. Melissa could feel the words 'I love you' almost slip almost daily but she refused to say it first. She initiated the relationship she wanted him to take it one step further.

Even though things were going well for them at times Melissa worried Michael was hiding something from her. Sometimes she caught him talking to a few of the younger Saviors but he would just brush it off whenever she asked. He was planning something and Melissa knew it was going to be dangerous and stupid if he didn't want to talk about it with her. "Hey I'm going on a run," He told her one particularly cold morning.

"With who?" She asked, normally they would go on runs together.

"Spencer, Quentin, and George."

Saviors Melissa realized. Over the past few months she had seen Spencer working closely with the Saviors as well. "Why are you going with them?"

"Quentin knows of a good spot, should have everything we need for when Negan comes back."

"No I mean why do they even want to go on a run? _We're_ the ones that have to collect everything for Negan. Why would they even try and help?"

"Is it so hard to believe they want to help us out? I mean they live here too."

"Do you hear yourself? Michael, these are not our people. These are Negan's men, remember? They're the ones that were there that night, they didn't stop Negan from killing Aaron. They're the ones that killed a handful of our people!"

"Stop, I'm going, I'll see you tonight."

Brushing past her Michael left without a goodbye or a kiss. For a minute she thought about running after him, to yell at him for being such an idiot but she didn't. She just stood in the middle of the living room waiting for him to come back. He had to come back at some point.

"I'm leaving for the day," Dr. Howell announced, he had only been in the clinic for maybe an hour when he decided to leave.

"Fine, its not like you need to be here or anything." Abby snapped but he ignored her once again and left.

Rolling her eyes she went outside to the backyard to get some fresh air. Today had been relatively slow so Howell really wasn't needed but even if they had ten people inside with limbs missing he would leave letting her deal with the patients. Running a hand through her hair she heard someone behind her. "Sleeping on the job?" A deep voice joked.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" She asked.

"Just making my rounds," He explained.

"Sure you're not here to bring in some more lollipops?"

Harry's eyes widened a little before he questioned. "How did you know it was me?"

"Just a guess, the bigger question is why are you doing this? Why are you bringing stuff back for us? You had to have been listening to me tell Melissa about my dog and then you bring me a stuffed animal that looked just like him? Why?"

"No reason."

"No, you don't get to brush this off like you do every time I ask you something. Are you just trying to trick us into letting our guard down so you can take advantage?"

"No of course not."

"Then why? Why are you being so nice to us? You're one of Negan's men, you're a killer!"

Harry's mood seemed to shift. "I've done what I've had to to survive, just like you."

"That doesn't answer my question."

"Fine, you want some truth? Here it is. I'm only one of Negan's men because one of his wives is my sister. When he found us she was sick, she wasn't going to make it unless she got help, help he could provide. In exchange for me helping him, working for him, he turned her over to one of his doctors. By the time she was better she agreed to be one of his wives so he would continue to look after her."

Abby was shocked. This was the most she had ever heard Harry talk, especially something personal. "Why did you both stay? If she got better then..."

"Because she feels indebted to him. He saved her life in a way and I'm not leaving without her. When I'm out on a run I go visit her before I go get supplies."

"Why do you bring stuff back for us?"

"Because I'm not a complete asshole believe it or not."

"I don't get it...so you want us to trust you?"

"Maybe I did...that's clearly never gonna happen though is it?" He asked before leaving her alone in the yard.

Once he was gone Abby felt a sense of emptiness but also she had never felt so confused. Just how was she supposed to feel about Harry? Was he a friend or foe? Why did it bug her so much?

After she finished up in the clinic it was way after sundown. Luckily it was a full moon as she began the walk home. To her surprise halfway there she was surprised to see Melissa walking towards her. "What are you doing out here?" She asked.

"Michael went on a run with some Saviors and he's not back yet. I just wanted to get out of the house for a little while." She explained.

Abby was about to ask something else when they heard an explosion and several screams. Fire erupted from where the gates used to be. "Oh my God," Melissa whispered as they heard the yells from whoever was running into the compound.

"Hide, hide!" Abby snapped grabbing her friend's hand and running behind a house.

From their spot their heard glass breaking and gunshots. Both girls held their breath as the attackers ran past. They all wore dark clothing, their faces were covered with only their eyes showing. All of them carried weapons ranging from guns to handmade spears. As they ran through Alexandria they shattered windows, starting fires until the streets were filled with smoke. "Oh my God, Kennedy." Abby muttered. "Melissa, get everyone out of here. We don't have weapons, we need to run."

"Wait a minute what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to Lauren's, she's by herself with the kids I need to help them."

"Are you kidding? If they see you they'll kill you."

"Better me than them, just get as many people out as you can. I'll meet you somewhere outside. Go!"

Melissa didn't get a chance to argue, Abby was already running behind the houses towards the makeshift orphanage. "Shit," Melissa snapped as she started running.

With no weapon she felt like a sitting duck as she just blindly started running into the warzone. The smoke burned her lungs, screams sent shivers down her spine as she arrived at one house. Peaking around she saw the garage was open and her eyes immediately landed on a baseball bat. "Better than nothing," She whispered picking it up.

Melissa ran without any sense of direction. The rest of Alexandria burned around her as bodies began falling. Anyone who left their homes were attacked. Whoever these people were didn't show any mercy. When she ran into any Alexandrian she told them to get out, don't grab anything, just leave. "Just go hide out in the woods, anywhere away from here, just go!" She commanded pushing them as they kept going.

It wasn't much but it was all she could do. Now Melissa found herself standing in front of Deanna's house, no sign of their former leader. Holding the bat tight in her hands she hesitantly walked up the stairs. The door was unlocked letting her go inside. No lights were on, the orange glow from the fires illuminated the living room as she took a look around. A scream caught in her throat when she found Dale leaning against a wall, a self inflicted gunshot wound to his head. "Deanna?" She called heading upstairs.

"Deanna? Its Melissa...we gotta get out of here." She said taking a look in each room with the older woman nowhere in sight.

Melissa checked every room, with each passing step she felt even more uneasy with what she could find. Finally she found Deanna sitting in what Melissa assumed used to be Aiden's room. "Deanna..."

"Melissa, I'm so sorry." Deanna muttered, a dazed look on her face.

"This isn't your fault, come on, there's still a chance for us to get out of here."

"No...no I'm staying right here. This was my community, these were my people and I failed them. I failed you, I failed Aaron...this is all my fault."

It was at this point when Melissa noticed the handgun in Deanna's hand. "Deanna, no, we can make this better."

"No...no, we can't," Deanna sighed, holding the gun to her temple and pulled the trigger.

After a few close calls Abby could finally see the Lauren's house off in the distance. She was horrified to see it was up in flames. "No..." She breathed her eyes focused on the burning home unaware of peering eyes following her every move.

Even if it was a waste she had to see if anyone was there. If someone needed her help she couldn't just sit by. As she stepped out from behind her hiding spot she suddenly felt like she wasn't alone. Turning around she saw him lurking in the shadows. He didn't speak, instead he just held up a knife as he sprinted towards her. She didn't have time to scream, in a split second she was laying on her back with the madman on top of her. Her hands held onto his arm trying to push the knife away from her throat. It was no use, he was stronger, the blade was inching closer to her skin until she heard a single gunshot. Blood sprayed onto her as the body fell forward.

She couldn't see her savior until whoever it was helped lift the body off of her. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Harry standing above her. "You all right?" He asked as he helped her up.

Instead of answering his question she turned to face the orphanage, if anyone was inside they weren't going to make it out. "Kennedy...the kids..." She muttered.

"They're safe." He answered.

"What?"

"I got them out before the fire was set. They're with Lauren, they should be somewhere outside the walls with a few other Saviors."

"You saved them?"

Nodding his head, his eyes fell to the ground. In the heat of the moment Abby threw her arms around his neck, her fingers digging into his shoulders and tears soaked his shirt. "Thank you." She said into his neck.

Clearly she took him off guard. His arms still hung by his sides until finally they wrapped around her waist. Both wished they could stay like that for the rest of the night but they were still under attack. Stepping back he took her hand. "Come on, we need to get out of here." He insisted as he began running with Abby following right behind him.

Melissa stood in shock, her ears were still ringing from the gunshot. Deanna's body had fallen backwards on the bed, blood sprayed on the walls and the bedding. She still couldn't believe it. Shaking off the shock Melissa stepped forward into the room. Her hands were shaking as she took the gun from Deanna's hand. "We'll take care of them," Melissa whispered, placing one of her hands on the older woman's shoulder.

Gripping the gun Melissa ran back downstairs to the front of the house. Even more houses were up in flames, more bodies had fallen in the time she was in the house. Her breath caught in her throat seeing a few of the attackers standing in the street. Luckily they had their backs to her as she quietly stepped down the front steps. In a split second she thought about taking them out but she was by herself with no backup. The gunshots would surely alert anyone else and it would not work out for her.

Falling back into the shadows Melissa made her way towards the gates. As long as she made it outside of Alexandria she should be all right. Sucking in a deep breath she was almost there, just a few feet away when a figure stepped out from the darkness. Stopping in her tracks Melissa's breath caught in her throat. It was one of them, it was clear by his tattered clothing and the W carved into his forehead. Blood coated his trench coat making bile rise in her throat. Just how many of her people had he killed?

Stepping backwards he stepped towards her. He carried what looked like a machete in his right hand but his left hand was behind his back. Suddenly remembering the gun in her hand Melissa raised it and took a shot. Unfortunately it only hit him in the shoulder, not even having an effect on him. Pulling the trigger again she realized that had been her only bullet. Dropping the gun Melissa bolted, running in the opposite direction only with him right behind her.

Thinking fast Melissa thought about her escape routes. She couldn't make it to the main gates but she did have another option. On the east wall was a tower used for guards to keep watch. If she could make it there she could climb up and climb down the other side, that is if she was able to get away from him.

Her lungs burned as she ran down the main road, by this time he wasn't alone. More attackers followed, hollering at her making tears sting her eyes. Finally the perch was in sight. She could make it if she just kept going. Throwing herself against the ladder she climbed, kicking her legs when one tried to grab her. As she climbed a loud gunshot caused her to freeze. More gunshots rang out causing each one of the attackers to fall one by one. Gripping the ladder tighter she let out a happy cry when she saw Michael and the rest of the Saviors standing off in the distance, assault rifles in their hands knocking each one of the men down. When the last one fell Michael ran towards her. Stepping over the bodies he held out his arms to help her down. "Come on, you're safe now," He told her.

Taking the steps one by one Melissa launched her body into his arms. Letting out a sob she buried her face in his neck. "Its ok, its ok." He whispered in her hair.

"Well shit...Negan will need to hear about this." One of the Saviors spoke up.

"He'll be here in the morning. We were supposed to collect tomorrow anyway. For now look for survivors." Another man commanded.

Pulling away from Michael glanced down at the bodies. "They're wolves."

"What?" Melissa asked.

"Wolves, they're the ones that killed my friends. They have W's carved in their foreheads, I would recognize them anywhere."

"Well...they're dead now. You don't have to worry about them anymore."

"Yeah because the Saviors were here. If they weren't we would all be dead right now."

Melissa stared at him. "I mean, yeah, but remember why they're here in the first place? Its not out of the goodness of their hearts."

"I remember why they're here but I think its time to realize without them we wouldn't stand a chance against another attack like this."

"What are you saying? That we should become them?"

Michael didn't answer. His silence told her everything she needed to know. "I need to find Abby." She muttered walking away from him.

A few miles away Abby paced the forest ground. "We should go back." She finally spoke.

Harry stood close by, leaning against a tree. He had been watching her in silence for what felt like hours. "Not a chance, Alexandria is gone and we wouldn't stand a chance against a threat like that by ourselves."

Abby felt like crying, it wasn't like her to feel so useless. "But Melissa is back there."

"She's a strong girl, she'll find her own way out."

Turning away from him Abby finally a few tears roll down her cheeks. She was alive, she was safe but she didn't know where her best friend was. She didn't know where Michael was either, there was no way of knowing if he had made it back from the run. What if he had gotten attacked on the way back? What if he was killed after they tortured him into telling them where Alexandria was? So many thoughts rushed through her head and it was too much all at once.

Suddenly she felt his presence right behind her. His big hands turned her around so she was facing his chest. Without a word he wrapped his arms around her. "Shh...I'm right here, love." He wished he could tell her it would be all right but he couldn't. Those were empty promises these days.

Somehow he encouraged her to sit down between his legs as he sat back against a tree. At first she sat straight as a board, not wanting to lean into him. Slowly though her exhaustion began to win over. Soon her back was pressed against his chest, his warmth was welcoming, she hadn't realized just how cold she was. Her knees were bent with his hands resting on her hips. He didn't dare move them, he just wanted to provide some sort of comfort. "You know, I never apologized for our first meeting." He sighed.

"We don't need to talk about that." She whispered, she really didn't want to remember the horrible circumstances that came along when they first met.

"Yes we do." Harry said, gently grabbing her chin forcing her to look up at him.

"No, you were just following orders. If you didn't then Negan would have done to you what he did to my people."

"Doesn't mean I don't feel bad. I don't like killing, I don't like being one of his men. And that night I was terrified of you being in that lineup."

"You didn't know me."

"No, no I didn't but I saw the way you rushed to help your people. I saw how broken you were when they were killed. I see the way you are with Kennedy." He smiled softly. "I brought you things, not as a way to make up for what Negan did because I know I can never do that, but to show you I do care. I guess it was just a shitty way of trying to make you happy."

Abby had been trying to fight her feelings for this man for so long and with all the walls she tried to build she could feel them crumble. His voice was so genuine, his actions tonight proved to her he wasn't like Negan. He wasn't an evil person, he was just someone who did what he had to do to survive this new world.

Surprising him, and herself, she slowly sat up to completely face him. Off in the distance she heard an owl but her focus was just on Harry. Leaning her forehead on his she closed the gap between them. His lips were so soft, gently caressing hers as they molded together. Abby's hands found their way to his hair while his moved to her back. Pulling back she could feel herself blushing while Harry let out a small chuckle. "I never thought that would actually happen," He whispered.

"Me neither," She muttered.

"Come here, get some rest," He insisted, gently pulling her close until she was laying against him. "I'll be right here."

"I don't want to sleep." She argued but she could already feel her eyes growing heavy.

"Its ok, love, I'm not going anywhere. You're safe." He told her honestly. His arms wrapping around her to shield her from the cold and any possible threat.

Somehow she believed him. Even with everything else crumbling around them for right now she was content in the arms of the man she knew she was falling for.


End file.
